Korea - Unknown War of the USSR

19
Until the middle of the 70s, the Soviet Union did not officially recognize its participation in the Korean war of the 1950-1953. In the award lists and death announcements, they spoke of "a particularly important task of the party and the government." And today, few people know about this page of the national stories. But in the skies of Korea for 3 years, Soviet and American pilots waged a real war for the possession of the sky, figuring out "who is who". The sky left for the Soviet aces. This article is dedicated to the memory of Soviet pilots who fought and died in Korea.

"Hot" episodes of the Cold War

After the representatives of Japan 2 September 1945 of the year signed the act of surrender, the USSR and the USA again became rivals. The confrontation between the two world superpowers and the economic and military blocs headed by them remained in history as the “Cold War”. But the war was not always cold. Often the confrontation turned into a “hot” phase. Numerous military conflicts in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East had in their background the desire of the USSR or the USA to establish their control, their hegemony at a certain point in the world. The territories of many countries became polygons where the USSR and the USA tested their military equipment, tested in practice new methods of warfare, where officers acquired and improved their combat experience.

Korean "brawl"

25 June 1950, the North Korean army crossed the 38 parallel, the former border between the two Koreas, and began to move rapidly to the south. By mid-August, about 90% of the territory of South Korea was under the control of the DPRK troops. The US military decided that this was a very good reason to conduct large-scale military field exercises in conditions as close as possible to combat exercises. In order to provide political cover for the United States, through the UN, it pushed through a resolution on the introduction of peacekeeping forces in Korea, and on July 1 the first American military units landed on the Korean peninsula. To the great surprise of the American military, North Korean troops broke through the defenses of their 24 Infantry Division and stormed the city of Cheonan defended by it. The division that had not had time to depart was surrounded and soon ceased to exist, its commander, Major-General Dean, surrendered.

Korea - Unknown War of the USSR


"Peacemakers"

The United States began to urgently increase the number of peacekeepers in Korea. Soon the military units of Canada, Australia, Great Britain and other countries joined the US military. 15 states sent their military contingents to Korea. By September 1, the number of "blue helmets" in Korea exceeded 180 thousand, half of them were Americans. On September 15, all this colossus, twice the size of the DPRK army, went on the offensive and literally crushed the army of North Korea into powder. The decisive role in the success of the offensive was played by the superiority of the “peacekeepers” in armaments, military equipment and, above all, in aviation.

B-29


UN troops against the DPRK army

The strike force of the "UN peacekeepers" became strategic bombers B-29 - "Flying Fortress", inaccessible to anti-aircraft artillery, capable of carrying up to 9 tons of bomb load. Covered their jet fighters F-80 "Shooting Star". 835 aircraft 5 th Air Force, the US Air Force fought 200 piston LA-9, LA-11 and attack aircraft IL-10. The North Korean Air Force was doomed. By September 20 they left 20 stormtroopers and 1 fighter, who survived a miracle. In this situation, the American pilots, "showing courage and selfless courage," began methodically destroying the North Korean armed forces from the air, dropping tons of bombs on them, thus ensuring the success of ground-based tactical operations. By October 1950, UN troops were already approaching the Chinese border.
North Korean leaders turned to China and the USSR for help. China sent thousands of "volunteers" to help the 270 southern neighbor, and the USSR took over the air cover of the troops.



Chinese pilots Li Xing Qing and Wang Yu Shin

At the end of October 1950, the first pilots arrived in Korea from the USSR. They were dressed in a Chinese military uniform and issued documents with new names, without photos. It is here that the origins of the jokes about the Chinese pilots with the names of Li Xi Qing and Wang Yu Shin (Lisitsyn, Vanyushin). Together with the pilots arrived jet fighters MIG-15. The aircraft wore North Korean or Chinese identification marks. In the air, it was prescribed to negotiate only in Chinese. The pilots recorded the texts of the main teams in Russian letters and fastened these leaves on their knees, but in the very first battle they switched to Russian, widely using non-standard vocabulary. The management very soon realized the absurdity of the order and canceled it. The group was called "64 th Fighter Air Corps."
He commanded the air group Thrice Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Kozhedub. November 8 pilots for the first time "tried to eat" American pilots, who proudly called themselves "knights of the sky." The meeting ended with the loss of the Yankees of one F-80 fighter. Air Force "peacekeepers" began to suffer serious losses. To establish parity, the United States sent the latest F-86 "Saber" to Korea.



Black Thursday United States Air Force

But the real test of who is worth something, was the 12 battle of April on 1951, which went down in history with the US Air Force as a “black Thursday”. On this day, the bombardment of the railway bridge across the Yalu River, along which the entire flow of military supplies was sent from China to Korea, 48 B-29 bombers escorted by 80 F-86 fighters took off. To intercept flew 44 Soviet MIG-15. The fighters met the dense B-29 and F-86 fire curtain. The Soviet pilots, many of whom still shot down Luftwaffe pilots, went straight to the fire. Subsequently, each of these fighters counted up to several dozen holes. Breaking through the wall of fire, the MIGs attacked B-29. For incomplete 20 minutes, the USAF lost 10 bombers and 4 fighters. The 64 th fighter air corps returned to the airfield without a loss that day. The US Air Force announced a week of mourning for the dead. Three months, the bombers of the "UN peacekeepers" did not rise to the sky. All subsequent time, the fearless Yankees preferred to fly to the bombing at night. The Soviet pilots after April 12 crossed over "flying fortresses" into "flying sheds".

True American

In an effort to “save face”, the American press wrote about “superior enemy forces”, increasing the number of MIGs participating in battles in 2-3, citing the exorbitantly high data on casualties among Soviet pilots. Even then, this caused stormy indignation among Soviet pilots, who were directly involved in the fighting. So, if you want to know the truth about those events, you should not look for it, relying on American sources - it is not there.



Results

For almost three years, the pilots of the 64 th Fighter Air Corps shot down 1525 aircraft, of which 170 - B-29. 52 Soviet airman returned from Korea aces. The ace # 1 is considered to be E. Pepelyaev, who shot down an 23 aircraft in the skies of Korea, followed by N. Sutyagin, on whose account 21 won. Many returned home with orders and medals, and the Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union decorated the pilots 35 chest. Total test the Korean War passed about 1200 pilots.

As in any war, not without loss. The American pilots were by no means cowards, and were not afraid to engage in combat. 319 aircraft lost its air corps over three years of fighting, 120 pilots died in battles. Almost all of them are buried in the Chinese city of Dalian (formerly Far), in a Russian cemetery, next to the defenders of Port Arthur.
Eternal memory to them!
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19 comments
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  1. +6
    6 September 2013 09: 24
    The title of the article is not very successful. For example, since childhood (70s), I knew that the USSR participated in the war on the Korean Peninsula by aviation forces. And the Chinese were several times more than the specified. But the rest is true. Korea finally divided the world into two opposing camps.
    1. +1
      6 September 2013 16: 08
      Quote: xetai9977
      For example, since childhood (70s), I knew that the USSR participated in the war on the Korean Peninsula by aviation forces.
      respected! mg interesting since what year are you? did you take hostilities in this conflict? with respect! hi
    2. Vovka levka
      -10
      6 September 2013 16: 37
      Quote: xetai9977
      Korea finally divided the world into two opposing camps.

      And now see how North and South Korea live.
      And for what, was it to ruin people and resources?
      For what would be the rule in the DPRK dynasty of communist tyrants?
      1. +2
        7 September 2013 01: 21
        Quote: Vovka Levka
        And now see how North and South Korea live.
        And for what, was it to ruin people and resources?
        For what would be the rule in the DPRK dynasty of communist tyrants?

        Che ernichat, you have the same garbage!
        1. Vovka levka
          -1
          7 September 2013 20: 42
          Quote: carbofo

          Che ernichat, you have the same garbage!

          Glory to God is not like that.
  2. pinecone
    +2
    6 September 2013 09: 39
    In the first picture, American B-29 aircraft drop bombs on Japanese territory. However, the difference is small.
    1. Su-9
      +1
      6 September 2013 09: 49
      and indeed all the photos except the last from another time.
  3. smiths xnumx
    +5
    6 September 2013 09: 54
    The DPRK Air Force was commanded by General Van Len and his adviser, Colonel Petrachev. By mid-1950, they officially controlled one mixed air division, which significantly outnumbered the Soviet one. The DPRK Air Force’s 55th SAD consisted of one assault regiment (57th ShAP) - 93 Il-10, one fighter (56th IAP) - 79 Yak-9, one training (58th UAC) - 67 training aircraft and communications aircraft, two aircraft technical battalions. The number of personnel of the DPRK Air Force reached 2 people. The aircraft were based at airfields located around Pyongyang. Each regiment had three, four squadrons, in the training there was a squadron of double Yak-829s. The 11th IAP was commanded by the famous North Korean pilot Lee Don Gyu, who became an ace during the war. Transport aircraft, most likely, consisted of one squadron Li-56 and S-2.
    For July 1950 for various reasons, UN aviation lost 55 aircraft in Korea, including: 14 Mustangs, 10 Shooting Starov, 5 Invaders, 5 deck attack aircraft, 5 Superfortresses, 4 Corsairs, 3 Texan from the Operations Command Mosquito, 2 Army Sentinels, 2 Twinmustangs, 2 Panthers, one transport aircraft, and two helicopters. In addition, the British Light Aircraft Carrier Brigade (aircraft carrier Triemph) lost 8 Seafire Mk.47 fighters in a month.
    Even official US statistics show roughly equal levels of casualties in aerial combat in July 1950. Officially, from the actions of the North Korean Air Force, the Americans recognized the loss of eight aircraft. American aces, in turn, announced in July about 11-12 air victories (officially counted 10) and over 40 aircraft destroyed on the ground. A general analysis of the Allied Air Force losses in July suggests that, in fact, from 23 to 25 Allied aircraft were killed in air battles, i.e. more than 40% of the total number of lost cars. But the forces were obviously unequal. After August 10, DPRK aircraft practically did not fly, although once, on August 22, they successfully attacked enemy ships.
    Replenished with new aircraft arriving from the USSR, on September 1, Koreans resumed their activity in the air. However, a large landing of the United Nations Marine Corps landed on September 15 in the rear of the KPA, with strong support from carrier-based aviation, led to the fact that in September-October 1950, the DPRK Air Force lost almost all of its air bases and was simply demoralized. In fact, there was a complete defeat of the DPRK aviation.
    http://artofwar.ru/f/foreign/text_0680.shtml

    Yak-9P North Korean Air Force
  4. smiths xnumx
    +2
    6 September 2013 10: 06
    On June 25, 1950, when the war in Korea began, the northerners had 93 IL-10 and IL-10. On the very first day of hostilities, attack aircraft supported the attacks of infantry and tanks. In addition, they attacked strongholds and concentrations of enemy troops. North Korean aviation completely dominated the air. Southerners did not have fighters; the closest American units were stationed in Japan. There was also no organized air defense. Under these conditions, the actions of the attack aircraft were very effective.
    On the morning of June 26, an Il-10 couple, accompanied by fighters, bombed and fired at a freight station in Seoul. They managed to blow up the composition with ammunition and destroy a lot of enemy manpower. The Americans also report the participation of attack aircraft in raids on the Kimpo airfield, where most of the aircraft of the then very few South Korean air forces were burned.
    On the morning of June 27, near Suwon, they intercepted an eight IL-10 and shot down (according to American data) four cars. The Koreans, in response, tried to strike at the Suwon airfield, but lost a couple more attack aircraft. Other sources say that on June 27, the Koreans lost only four Il-10s, and the Mustang fighter was destroyed by return fire from an air gunner.
    But then air supremacy passed to the enemy. Almost every sortie of attack aircraft was accompanied by losses. The Americans also regularly bombed and shelled the airfields of the northerners. After two weeks of fighting, about two dozen serviceable IL-57 remained in the 10th regiment. They were dispersed at various sites. They flew in groups of no more than four to six aircraft. At the end of the summer, the Soviet Union handed over a number of attack aircraft to the Koreans, but this did not compensate for the losses of equipment. Among other things, the North Korean aviation lost its flight personnel reserves. Stormtroopers continuously attacked the enemy's defenses. They also operated over the sea. August 22 at about. Munchan in the Yellow Sea, a pair of Il-10 allegedly sank an enemy ship: either a destroyer, or a minesweeper. In any case, the Americans did not officially acknowledge this loss. Korean sources call An Hon Zun the most effective attack pilot, reporting on the destruction of a destroyer and two aircraft. By the end of August, North Korean aviation had 20 serviceable attack aircraft, of which there were 17 pilots. On September 15, "UN forces" landed troops near Incheon and launched an offensive northward. During the retreat, the DPRK troops threw two defective Il-10 into Kimpo. Even before that, several damaged cars fell into the hands of the Americans. Both planes were taken to the United States. There they were transferred to the Cornell Laboratory (Ithaca). One of the two attack aircraft was assembled. June 20 - August 15, 1951, he was tested at Wright Field AFB. Captain R. Stevens flew it. In the future, the Il-10 of the DPRK Air Force did not play a large role in the hostilities, although they continued to be used in limited quantities until the end of the war as part of General Liu Zhen's Sino-Korean United Air Force. There is no information about when the Koreans removed the last Il-10 from service.
    http://army.lv/?s=565&id=245&v=9

    1. smiths xnumx
      +1
      6 September 2013 10: 16
      In the winter of 1950-51. only the night bomber regiment, widely described in the literature, was active, flying first on Po-2, then on Yak-11 and Yak-18. But, as strange as it may seem, the real value from their combat work was. It was not for nothing that the Yankees seriously discussed the Po-2 problem. In addition to the fact that "crazy Chinese alarm clocks," as the Americans called them, constantly pressed on the enemy's psyche, they also inflicted tangible damage. Subsequently, a couple of squadrons from the 56th Fighter Aviation Regiment and some Chinese air units were connected to the night work - both of them mainly flew the La-9/11 !. In November-December 1950, the formation of the Sino-Korean United Air Force (OVA) began. It was dominated by the Chinese, the commander of the OVA was also the Chinese general Liu Zhen. On June 10, 1951, the KPA Air Force had 136 aircraft and 60 well-trained pilots. In December, two Chinese fighter divisions on MiG-15s began fighting. Later, they were joined by the KPA Avid Division (by the end of 1952 their number was brought to three). However, the activity of the Korean aviation left much to be desired. The main burden of the fight against enemy aircraft was borne by the IA and ZA 64IAK, so that the basis of the DPRK's air defense was Soviet units, and the Koreans and Chinese played a supporting role throughout most of the war. And their air defense, although it was, was in the appropriate state. Almost the only air defense units remained groups of "gunner-hunters for aircraft", created by order of Kim Il Sung on December 2.12.1950, 3. The meaning of this "great initiative" was that a platoon was allocated in each rifle regiment, which began to fight the enemy. by airplanes with the help of improvised means - from easel and light machine guns to cables stretched between the tops of nearby hills. According to North Korean propaganda, some groups (for example, the calculation of the Hero of the DPRK Yu Ki-ho) managed to knock 5-27 enemy planes in this way! Even if we consider this information to be exaggerated, the fact remains that the "gunners-hunters" became a mass phenomenon at the front and spoiled a lot of blood on the UN pilots. On the day of the signing of the armistice on June 1953, 350, the North Korean aviation was still of little combat capability, but quantitatively already exceeded the pre-war level. Various experts estimate its number during this period at 400-200 aircraft, including at least 15 MiG-XNUMXs. All of them were based on Chinese territory, since the pre-war airfields in North Korea were destroyed and were not rebuilt during the war.
      http://airwar.ru/history/af/kndr/kndr.html

      DPRK La-11 Air Force, 1953
      1. smiths xnumx
        +3
        6 September 2013 10: 29
        A few biographies of North Korean aces:
        Kan Yon Duk- started the war on the Yaks, it was in the initial period that he won five victories. Then he moved to the MiG-15. He particularly distinguished himself in the battles for Wonsan from 4.10. on 12.10.1952/1953/10 Awarded the title Hero of the DPRK in XNUMX, at that time IAP commanded. In total, by the end of the war, he had XNUMX enemy aircraft shot down. There is no information about the post-war fate.

        Kim Gin Ok-to the beginning of the war in 1950 was the commander of the Yak-9 squadron in 56 IAP of the DPRK Air Force. In 1952-53 he fought on the MiG-15 as a comets, regiment and divisional commander. In 1951 he was awarded the title Hero of the DPRK. According to North Korean data, he was the best ace, shot down 11 American aircraft (of which 3 were V-29, flying on the Yak-9P from 11.07 to 3.12.50). After the war he continued to serve in the Air Force. In April 1969, he planned the operation of the DPRK air defense, during which the American intelligence officer EU-121 was shot down. He died in November 2001 at the age of 76.

        Lee Don Gyu-at the time of the outbreak of war commanded 56 IAP North Korean Air Force. In the period from 11.07. On 14.07.1950/9/29, flying on the Yak-1950P, according to North Korean data, it shot down five US Air Force planes. Including one B-XNUMX over Seoul. According to unverified data, he died in aerial combat in the fall of XNUMX. The title of Hero of the DPRK is awarded posthumously.

        Baek Guy Rak-in 1950-51 he shot down five US Air Force aircraft. He gained most victories in the Sinichzhu and Pyongyang area in January 1951, flying on the Yak-9P and La-11. He died in June 1951, ramming a U.S. Navy ship in the Yellow Sea. At the time of death, Iap commanded. Posthumously presented to the title of Hero of the DPRK.

        http://airwar.ru/history/aces/acepostwar/skyknight.html

        La-9 Air Force DPRK
        1. smiths xnumx
          +3
          6 September 2013 10: 59
          The participation of Soviet pilots in the Korean War has been sufficiently studied, but in addition to our pilots, Chinese pilots also participated in the fighting:
          On December 4, 1950, after training was completed, the command ordered the 28th air force to fly to Qianyan airfield to participate in air battles on the "battle contact line." The leader in the flight was the commander of the 4th PLA IAD Air Force Fan Ziyi, an experienced pilot who graduated from a flight school in 1942 in Urumqi.
          The importance that the top Chinese leadership attached to the fighting of their pilots is evidenced by the fact that on the eve of the 4th Iad and the 28th AE, the Minister of Defense of the People's Republic of China, Zhu De, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Liu Yalou, inspected. On December 21, 1950, division commander Fang Ziyi led the 28th air force on a flight to the Lantou airfield in Andong. On the same day, the 28th air force, under the guise of Soviet pilots from the 29th giap, entered the battle. The Chinese did not find the enemy, and the Soviet pilots won the first victory over the Sabers that day. During a flight to the Singisu area, six MiGs from the 3rd ae of the 29th giap, led by a comedian captain Yurkevich, unexpectedly collided with an F-86 group on a collision course. Only the leader, the only one from the group, managed to give a short queue (only three shells) for enemy aircraft, while others did not even manage to react. Nevertheless, one of the shells of the 37-mm gun fell into the junction of the wing with the fuselage, the wing fell off, the Saber crashed into the ground. The rest of the F-86, without entering into battle, turned around and with a decline went beyond the front line. Subsequently, our pilots did not remember the first sortie of the Chinese. It is not known exactly how many more sorties the Chinese made before the end of the year; in some of our sources there are references to the departures on December 28 and 29. The Chinese themselves claim that "in December 1950, the Sino-Korean forces won two victories", most likely, it was about the military successes of Korean pilots.
          Chinese dreams of meeting the enemy came true on January 21, 1951, when a major aerial battle took place in the Aneiu region. Against numerous groups of attack aircraft several times flew groups of all three regiments of the 50th Iad - about 30 MiG-15. Early in the morning, 20 F-84s launched bombing assaults on the railway in the Pyongyang-Xinizhou area (new Anzhou). At the signal of two green missiles, a six MiG-7 from the 34rd ae of the 15th giap and Chinese MiG-3, led by comedian Li Han, took to the intercept at 29-15 (according to other sources, the Chinese took to the air about 9 hours of the entire 28th ae, two - Wei Mengyun and Chu Futian, were not planned for the flight).
          When the group was over Xuanchuan, the second pair led Zhang Hongqing on the right found two F-84s diving from a height of 1000 m onto the Qinchuanjiang bridge. At this point, a group of stormtroopers dispersed due to attacks by Soviet pilots, but the Chinese write that “because of a sudden attack by a group of Li Han, the Americans were mixed. "Li Han attacked the four on the left and knocked out the leader." The second pair (Li Xiangang and Zhang Hongqing) fired at the remaining three, but to no avail. According to other Chinese sources, “Li Han saw the enemy and immediately rushed to the attack, but immediately fell into the thick of the enemy system. Apparently, they didn’t open fire at him, having turned around, he soon turned out to be 400 m from the left four and opened fire at the leader, damaging his plane. This air battle ended. Li Han was both pleased and saddened at the same time. Such results did not suit him. He wanted not to incite, but to bring down, and not just one. But the command was very pleased with this victory, he was congratulated. ” Our publications have always claimed that on January 21, Li Han attacked and shot down the F-84.
          Komesk Lee Han, who opened the PLA Air Force combat account in the sky of Korea
          1. smiths xnumx
            +1
            6 September 2013 11: 07
            On January 23, the largest battle in the January battles took place in the skies of Korea near Andun, in which more than 80 planes on both sides came together in several groups (according to other sources, 28 MiG-15s versus 32-33 Thunderjets). The Chinese do not disclose the details of these battles, although according to our sources, the pilots of the 28th ae, together with groups of the 29th giap, made at least two sorties. Americans from the 522nd and 523rd ae of the 27th ag announced four downed MiGs (two - Lieutenant E. Cragg and one each - captains A.Mc-Guire and W.W. Slouter), and presumably, three more downed MiGs. According to A.German and I. Seidov, the Chinese pilots did not have victories that day (eight F-84s were shot down by our pilots), but due to the lack of combat experience they lost two MiGs and one pilot. Apparently, it was a question of other pilots of the 10th Airborne Forces of the PLA Air Force, since these days the 28th and 29th Air Force of the 30th Air Force arrived to “help” the 10th Air Force, and according to Chinese data, in January battles Li Han pilots had no casualties. January 29 was a real holiday for the Chinese, the pilots of the 28th ae held the most successful battle for a short combat experience in the sky of Korea. The day of January 29 was a real holiday for the Chinese, the pilots of the 28th ae held the most successful battle for a short combat experience in the sky of Korea.
            By February 1951, two Chinese divisions on the MiG-15 with RD-45A were ready to enter the battle. Before entering the battle on March 15, 1951, the headquarters of the Chinese Air Force, headed by Liu Zheng, were created in Andun to interact with the Korean Air Force. Soon, based on it, the Sino-Korean headquarters of the United Air Army (OVA) was created, it was headed by the same Liu Zhen. His deputies were Korean and Chinese Chan Gankun, each of them headed the staff of the headquarters of his nationality, for parity, two officers were also appointed to each post - a Chinese and a Korean. The Chinese air units were in double subordination - the headquarters of the OVA and the PLA Air Force. The OVA headquarters began managing the operations of the air units of the DPRK and PRC air forces operating on the Korean fronts from the territory of China on April 25.

            Initially, the OVA included five divisions, including two on the MiG-15 (3rd and 4th Iad) and the 2nd Iad on La-11 (only one regiment was actually prepared - 30 combat-ready La-11 and 6 faulty). As of April 1, 1951, the OVA fighter aircraft consisted of 120 combat-ready aircraft and 22 malfunctioning aircraft (6 La-9s, 11 MiG-15s in the 3rd Iad and 5 in the 4th Iad). Most of them did not participate in the battles. In addition, the OVA included the 8th bomber on the Tu-2 and the assault division on the IL-10. This was probably the DPRK Air Force division (or, possibly, mixed), since the Chinese did not report any information about the participation of their 5th Shad in the Korean War.
            1. smiths xnumx
              +1
              6 September 2013 11: 09
              In Chinese sources, there are no details of the spring air battles of the PLA air forces, except for the first victory of the future ace Liu Yudi, won "shortly after" January 29th. When he first climbed the intercept, he found below himself four enemy aircraft. He dived from 8 to 7 km, the output of the overload darkened in his eyes, then he again saw the Americans at a fairly large distance. He rushed after them in pursuit and suddenly attacked, having shot down one plane. Having gained combat experience, Liu Yudi led the squadron. During a major aerial battle of 24 MiGs with more than 40 enemy aircraft, the comasco Liu Yudi was the first to detect and broadcast a radio warning about the enemy. In the battle that began, the Chinese shot down two aircraft and shot down another. They do not report their losses. According to our sources, units of the 4th Iad in April-May 1951 participated in battles as part of the 64th Soviet fighter air corps. The command post of the OVA and KP of the 64th Jacob in Andun were located in the neighborhood, 50 m from each other. In the first sorties, the pilots of the 64th Jacob covered up the Chinese, then they acted independently. As a rule, Chinese pilots took off much less frequently than Soviet pilots, operating mainly in small groups in the second echelon under the guise of pilots of the 324th Iad.
              Confirmation of the disappointing assessment of the actions of the Chinese pilots can serve as the battle of the group of pilots of the 4th Iad with the group of "super-strengths" B-29. The shooter’s fire was shot down and one of the most experienced pilots, the commander of the 12th regiment Zhou Dahai, was killed in 1949, flying on a B-25 to the Communists from the Kuomintang Air Force. The death in battle of the best pilot and commander had a very negative impact on the morale of the flight personnel of the division, and soon it was taken to rest and replenishment in Liaoyang. In Andun, they were replaced by pilots of the 3rd IAD IAD.
              The 12th regiment was still unlucky with the commanders. Later in the battle, the new commander of the regiment, Chen Liang, was killed, and the deputy was shot down and catapulted. Americans shot the komeska in the air. As the Chinese themselves assessed their successes in the battles against “superstresses,” one can judge from the memoirs of pilot Zhao Baotong:
              “At first, we did not succeed in achieving serious success in the fight against heavy bombers. Many of the pilots could not get comfortable with determining the distance of opening fire. Such a large machine, like the B-29, somehow immediately fit into the sight, there appeared fire routes that its air arrows fired, and the pilot's fingers involuntarily pressed the trigger. In fact, the distance was too great, our fire was not effective, and the fire of the "Flying Fortresses" was almost harmless ... "
              As a participant in a real battle B.S. Abakumov recalled, reading these notes, they simply smiled, “since we well knew the combat capabilities of the Chinese. Losses they, in comparison with the Americans, were one to one. And once the eight of the Chinese hit the tail of the eight Sabers. They landed and fired on command - seven Chinese aircraft were shot down. The Chinese were poorly discreet, and because of this they suffered heavy losses. In the heat of battle, when they shot down an enemy’s plane, they continued to attack him along the entire trajectory of falling to the ground and did not look back. ”
              1. smiths xnumx
                +1
                6 September 2013 11: 14
                According to the initial plan of I.V. Stalin, Mao Zedong and Kim Il Sung, the Chinese divisions, having reliably mastered the MiG-15 and MiG-15bis, Soviet instructor pilots, would have to completely replace Soviet air units in the Korean War by mid-1951. In May 1951, there were already 18 air divisions in the PLA Air Force — 12 fighter divisions, two assault, three bomber and transport. As of June 10, 1951, there were 358 MiG-15s in China, another 372 MiG-15s were prepared for urgent dispatch from fighter aircraft of air defense and the 24th VA. In addition, in the group (corps) of General Belov, there were 179 MiG-15bis and 62 MiG-15. By the end of 1951, about 800 MiG-15 and 200 MiG-15bis were in China. But as it turned out, even the presence of such an “air armada” could not ensure the implementation of the Soviet plan for the Korean War. Without the custody of the “Stalinist falcons”, their “younger brothers” - the “eagles” of Mao Zedong, were not able to withstand the American “hawks”. Therefore, Soviet pilots had to fight in the skies of Korea until the very end of the war.
                Departure of each Chinese squadron was covered, as a rule, by a link or squadron of our aircraft, whose task was to repel the Sabers attacks on Chinese aircraft. The Americans immediately saw in the air that weak pilots were flying in front of them and literally attacked them. It was rather difficult for Soviet pilots to repulse attacks at the same time and to watch so that you would not be shot down.
                When meeting with the stormtroopers - Thunderjets and Shuting Stami - the Chinese on the MiG, according to Kramarenko, had a complete advantage., Fled the Americans and, pursuing them, often achieved convincing victories.
                Especially fierce was the first air battle on September 25 in Anzhou. 16 MiG-15s of the 12th IAP led by the deputy took off. Regiment Li Wenmo. In the air over Anzhou, they suddenly collided with more than 1000 Americans at a distance of about 20 m and the whole group attacked the enemy. The commander of the 1st ae, Li Yuntai, rushed to the F-84 eight flying to the left, they scattered. At this time, the eight F-86, divided by two fours, tried to attack them from behind from two sides. Li Yuntai gained altitude to escape the blow, but was hit. His wingman Quan Taiwan drove away the Sabers who attacked. Li Yuntai himself tried to attack another American on a damaged plane, but was unable to open fire due to injuries. At this time, 4 F-86s surrounded him, and he boldly entered into a “hand-to-hand” battle with them, managed to get away from them and return to his airfield. 56 holes were counted on the ground in his MiG, and although he did not bring down anyone, the pilot was congratulated on the success and was nicknamed the “air tank”.

                In that battle, the leading pair was covered by a pair of MiGs (board. Nos. 5 and 6, leading Chen Heng, led by Liu Yongxin). Seeing that the Americans attacked Li Yuntai, they tried to cover him. Liu Yongxin alone rushed to the six Sabers and shot down one, but then the other five attacked him and shot him down, the pilot died. Liu Yongxin first shot down an F-86 in a regiment.
                1. smiths xnumx
                  +1
                  6 September 2013 11: 18
                  At the end of September, major air battles began, in which on October 10 squadron commander Hua Lun'i shot down two Americans. On October 16 he was knocked out and wounded, but he continued to fight and shot down one and knocked out another enemy. German and Seyidov describe the air battles on October 16 somewhat differently and argue that "in revenge" for previous failures, the Americans from the 4th Air Force won 9 victories that day, including the 334th Air Force destroyed 4 MiG-15s, two of them Major F.L. Fisher shot down in two battles. Our pilots had no losses that day, but veterans of the 303rd IAD recalled the defeat of one Chinese squadron when returning to the airfield. According to them, instead of a fight, there was a real "beating of babies", who had neither ammunition nor fuel left, and they did not know how to maneuver at low speed before landing. As a result, the Sabers easily shot down 7-8 MiGs and left with impunity towards the Yellow Sea.
                  How successfully the Chinese pilots of the 3rd Iad fought at the end of October, which, as a result, became the most effective in the PLA Air Force, there are no exact data. The Chinese themselves claim that the future ace Zhao Baotong only opened her combat account on November 4, 1951. At the same time, Soviet pilots testified to the success of the Chinese in the October battles. So, the deputy commander of the 18th giap A.P. Smorchkov, on October 21, who led the regiment’s sortie and, from the very first attack with the fire of his 37 mm cannons, “destroyed” one B-29, recalled how a Chinese man who had returned from a combat mission ran around the airfield and joyfully shouted that he had shot down one “fortress”. The developed film of the photo-machine gun confirmed his victory. In those days, the comasque of the 523rd Iap V.P. Popov led the “national team” of Soviet and Chinese pilots into battle. According to him, while our aces in that battle covered up the Chinese "eagles", one of them shot down a B-29, but it was also shot down immediately.
                  On December 2, 1951, Americans in six groups dispatched more than 120 F-84s and F-86s for raids on railways in Taichuan, Bochuan, and Shunchuan. 3rd Iad raised 42 MiG-15. In the sky over the estuary of the Qinchuanidjiang and Suchuan MiGs, they fought with 20 Americans, shot down three and shot down one plane.

                  On December 5, the 3rd Iad again participated in a major aerial battle. The 9th IAP was the "core of attack", the 7th IAP covered it. In a battle with F-86 fighters and F-84 bombers, 4 aircraft were shot down.

                  On December 8, pilots of the 3rd Iad made two sorties, shooting down and knocking out 3 F-86s. In these air battles, about 300 aircraft participated on both sides. Historians in the PRC write that "in an air battle, where F-86s participated with excellent flight data, Chinese pilots, showing heroism, shot down and shot down 9 aircraft and gained experience in fighting with the F-86 ..."
                  MiG-15 at the Beijing Aviation Museum. But the sidebar is Zhao Baotong, the most productive Chinese ace pilot.
                  1. smiths xnumx
                    +1
                    6 September 2013 11: 23
                    On the night of November 29, 1952, 10 Tu-2s of the 28th Regiment of the 10th Division bombed warships near the Big and Small Islands, preparing favorable conditions for landing. In the afternoon of November 30, in order to support the landing, the 9th Tu-2 of the 24th regiment of the 8th bad under the cover of 16 La-11 of the 4th Iap 2nd Iad (the leader of the regiment flew to bomb Hedao. According to others sources, they were supposed to be covered from above by the Chinese MiG-15 squadron of the 3rd Iad.Apparently, they were just late and still quite far from the bombers when more than 30 F-86s unexpectedly attacked them over the sea.
                    While the bombers were fighting on the way to the target, 16 La-11s fought a heavy battle with the Sabers, trying to keep the F-86 from the Tu-2 closer than 1000 meters. The Chinese claim that the Lavochkins shot down 4 F-86s and shot down three: "This served as a precedent for the victory of piston fighters over jet." On a personal account deputy. they include the wrecked Saber and two black ones. Much later, the Americans admitted the loss of two F-86s in that battle, and Major Marshall, who really fell under the La-11 guns, returned to the airfield with a completely broken cab. The most interesting thing is that Wan Tenbao’s "piston" victory over the jet Saber was recognized even by the sworn enemies of the Chinese Communists - the Kuomintang.
                    After Tu-2 and La-11, "licking their wounds", stretched toward China, pilots of the 523rd IAP came to the aid of the alarm. They flew "to the heading", but Major Oskin managed to bring down one F-86. Also, two Sabers were recorded on the 3rd iad.
                    Losses of the Chinese that day, according to various sources, are estimated at 4-8 Tu-2, 3 La-11 and MiG-15, 15 crew members were killed.
                    Pilot Wang Tenbao, who shot down the Saber jet on the Lavochkin piston in battle on November 30, 1951.
                    1. smiths xnumx
                      0
                      6 September 2013 11: 29
                      On June 20, 1952, a dozen Sabers attacked a pair of La-9s during a training flight in the airport area. According to the KPA command, using the best maneuverability and engaging in a bend in the bends, the Koreans shot down two F-86s, but only the leading DPRK Hero Major Park Ki Rak returned to base. The slave was attributed to the account of Captain F. Blize from the 334th ae. On the same day, on the same flight, the second pair of Koreans was again attacked by the Sabers squadron. The Koreans again stated that their pilots shot down one F-86 each, while the follower was shot down and died, and the leader managed to land in a burning airplane in the field. Summing up the results of two battles, the KPA command announced three Sabers shot down and an American Farler captured, they themselves lost three Lavochkins and two pilots. The Americans, of course, do not report their losses that day.
                      In September, Chinese pilots repelled six massive raids at the hydroelectric station in Lagushao and a bridge on the Yalu River. The Chinese, destroying the "large" bombers (apparently, this is the B-26 or B-29), regularly sent 4-8 aircraft from the 3rd, 12th, 17th, 18th divisions to the districts south of Pyongyang, attacking American planes and scattering them. Thus, they shot down 30 aircraft and shot down 6. With these active military operations, they fettered the actions of the US Air Force north of the Qinchuanjiang River, providing movement on the two main railways in northern Korea.
                      The Chinese fought 10 fighter divisions, 21 regiments (672 pilots) and 28 crews in three squadrons of two bomber divisions. By the end of the war, the OVA consisted of seven divisions, which had almost 900 aircraft, including 635 MiG-15 and MiG-15bis. 59733 soldiers from the ground forces of the Air Force also took part in the hostilities, not counting the air units and command and control bodies that did not directly take part in the battles - the rear personnel, command and control personnel of aviation schools. In total, according to Chinese data, 26.491 combat sorties were carried out, 2457 groups flew to missions. They conducted 366 group air battles, in which 4872 aircraft participated.

                      Chinese data on the number of victories and losses of the PLA Air Force over the past decades have not changed: back in 1960, the best Chinese ace Wang Hai, who rose to the rank of lieutenant general and the post of head of the PLA Air Force’s political department, said that the Chinese had shot down and damaged 425 during the entire war enemy aircraft. In recent years, the PRC has written that Chinese pilots from 12 PLA air forces divisions that fought in Korea shot down 330 aircraft and shot down 95. According to our data, 271 aircraft were shot down by OVA pilots (Chinese and Koreans). Own losses: according to Chinese sources - 231 downed and 151 downed aircraft, while 116 pilots died (according to our data - 126 pilots). According to Hero of the Soviet Union S.M. Kramarenko, the OVA pilots, having shot down 271 enemy planes and having lost 231 of their own, showed "good results."
                      1. smiths xnumx
                        0
                        6 September 2013 11: 30
                        According to the types of downed planes of the UN forces, the statistics are as follows: F-86 - 181 (of which F-86F-30 - 5), F-84 - 27, F-80 - 30, F-94 - 1, F-51 - 12, F-82 - 1, F4Y5 - 15, Mk. 8 - 2, B-26 - 1 and another unidentified one. (It is strange that the downed B-29 did not get here.) Anti-aircraft gunners of the ground forces of the DPRK and the PRC joint efforts shot down another 1284 aircraft.

                        In the comments of the victories and losses about the Chinese pilots, you can read: “Continuing the glorious traditions of the PLA, they waged a heroic fight against the US Air Force and achieved brilliant results ... Given that the Chinese Air Force fought in difficult conditions and victories were not easy for them, they paid for them great price. With the fierceness of air battles, losses increased. They left a mark in the hearts of loved ones. Each time the planes scattered along the runway, they always wished for happiness, since everyone understood that many of them were no longer destined to return. When the planes returned, all the technicians ran to meet them to greet. When the technician saw that his plane had not returned, he looked longingly at the sky. "
                        All data on the actions of the Chinese Air Force taken
                        http://vadimvswar.narod.ru/ALL_OUT/AiKOut02/KorCh/KorCh033.htm

                        MiG-15 in OVA painting at the Chinese Air Force Museum
  5. Majordok
    +1
    6 September 2013 10: 24
    Very famous, read Kramarenko!
  6. +2
    6 September 2013 10: 26
    It seems that the author somewhere, for the first time in his life, read about the war in Korea and decided to quickly post "fresh information". Moreover, the article itself resembles a story from the magazine "Murzilka". In the comments, and then an order of magnitude more information than in this note on the margins of the cigarette pack.
  7. 0
    6 September 2013 10: 44
    Why did the USSR boycott the meetings of the UN Security Council, where the fate of the participation of UN forces in the Korean conflict was decided?
  8. +1
    6 September 2013 12: 01
    I don’t understand at all why in the 60s, 70s, 80s our participation in conflicts was hushed up. Who was hindered by the greatness of our military and our weapons?
    Under Stalin, everyone knew our heroes in Spain, Mongolia. The military man was a respected man. The children of ALL members of the government served.
    It’s a pity that GDP has no sons.
    1. +2
      6 September 2013 16: 21
      The participation of our servicemen in a number of cases was not only hushed up, but also denied. The Pravda newspaper declared the participation of Soviet servicemen in the Arab Israeli war to be "fabrications of Western propaganda and slander." Since there were no hostilities, there were no people who participated in them and it was not necessary to solve whose problems the participants in the hostilities had enough ... hence the dastardly expression: "What kind of war? We did not send you there."
  9. NOBODY EXCEPT US
    +3
    6 September 2013 12: 23
    The article is another propaganda for raising the spirit, having little to do with reality, while I was in school I knew a lot about this war, although I didn’t officially talk about it. I presented the material well (Kuznetsov 1977), thanks to him for this, it’s well noted that many pilots had combat WWII experience, now we don’t have such an experience, no matter how you say the Yankees are constantly fighting a strong enemy or not, they are constantly in good shape, for example, I was surprised to learn that after the last campaign of Kuznetsov pilots were awarded medals, the question is for what? for the fact that you didn’t miss the runway? For any amer pilot, take-off and landing on an aircraft carrier is a routine, I imagine if they hung medals for it, the aircraft would drown from their weight in a couple of months ......
  10. Centaurus
    0
    6 September 2013 12: 40
    "the battle on April 12, 1951, which went down in US Air Force history as Black Thursday."
    4 that we have done. It is necessary to mark this date together with May 9!
  11. +1
    6 September 2013 12: 48
    It is best to read the book by Pepeliaev - Pepeliaev E.G., "Migi" against "Sabers"
  12. +2
    6 September 2013 13: 38
    The air war in Korea primarily showed the staff that the air blitzgrieg against the USSR would not work. Actually, if our fighter aircraft (moreover, the 64 IAK was not an ordinary combat unit, but not an elite unit) did not prove to be so effective, the amers could start a nuclear war against us even then. A test of strength showed that you can forget about the nuclear bombing of the Urals, Moscow, Kiev, etc. for a long time. It is not a fact yet that we would have flown to Leningrad. If they couldn’t bomb the bridges over Yala, they couldn’t dream of more remote and protected targets, and there was practically nothing to oppose Russian tanks in Europe with.
    Then, IMHO, the question of whether or not to be a nuclear strike on the USSR was decided. Decided - more expensive. Critical damage could not be inflicted at once, and it was quite possible to lose Europe.
    I believe that it would not be an exaggeration to say that then at the beginning of the 1950, our pilots saved the world from the Third World War.
    1. 0
      6 September 2013 18: 44
      Quote: Then, IMHO, the question of whether or not to be a nuclear strike on the USSR was decided.

      In 1949, amers already knew about our atomic bomb.
      1. 0
        6 September 2013 19: 54
        A bomb itself without a delivery vehicle is dangerous only to those who have it. And we did not have delivery vehicles for this bomb in either 1949 or 1953, and the next ten years. So the amers of our bomb were not afraid. Their first real fear for their own skin - when our missiles arrived in Cuba in 1962 - resulted in the Caribbean crisis. And before that, they generally did not think about defense and were not afraid of anything. They simply could not be reached across the ocean.
  13. 0
    6 September 2013 13: 39
    I apologize, bullshit. 64 IAK was the usual combatant unit.
  14. ran nearby
    0
    6 September 2013 14: 23
    The air war in Korea ended with a "convincing" victory for the Americans. A military transporter was shot down with three dozen of our pilots returning home. Esessno transport worker was unarmed and without air cover
  15. ramsay
    +3
    6 September 2013 18: 49
    My father, according to the documents, shot down 1 Saber. According to his stories, 2 more in person and 2 in the group. But they were not confirmed.
  16. +2
    6 September 2013 18: 54
    Shore should cover this topic. The younger generation should learn from such heroic examples.
  17. +1
    6 September 2013 22: 45
    In addition to pilots, gunners fought in Korea.
    My father participated in this war as the commander of a fire platoon (he is an anti-aircraft gunner). I saw photographs of him and his colleagues in Chinese uniform and his Chinese awards with documents in Chinese and Russian.
    I only laughed off my questions about this war, but I had a very high opinion about the working capacity and discipline of the Chinese.
    Probably other types of troops fought in Korea, so I think the article is one-sided.

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